Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.

I stood by the counter of the town's only bridal shop with my chosen dress in hand. It was red and according to Jess took the emphasis off my so called bubble ass. I didn't care what she said since I was just looking for something that was reasonably priced and not fugly. It was a challenge considering this town was pretty limited when it came to formal wear.

"What'cha need sweetheart?" The blonde behind the counter called out with a smile that dripped with sweetness.

"I was hoping that you would hold this until I can get my dad to come down here to pay." I explained as I stood there feeling like loser as I explained how I had no money of my own.

"Sure, we can do that," she agreed cheerfully with a nod of her head. I watched as she took the dress from me to hang upon the rack that was situated behind her.

"Just call your dad, Bella. I'm sure he'll dust off the credit card for you," Jess whined as she waited impatiently behind me with what she claimed was the most epic dress in the shop.

"We could do that too, if you want," the woman offered with a motherly smile that made me want to agree with her.

"Yeah, Uhm…. Okay," I agreed with a nod and smile as I fought off the urge to puke over calling my Dad. I was sure he would pay for the damn dress so that didn't stop me; it was how we ended things. I had made him feel bad about Edward and that was never my intention. I just needed to know what he felt about him since every time I mentioned the boy's name he would either look away or cringe for me. I had no idea how badly he still hurt over the death of his friend and that made me an asshole since I was supposed to be the enlightened one. I should have known since I had dealt with death every day of my life, yet with my own father I had been a bitch.

Reluctantly, I pulled out my cell phone and called him. The phone only range twice before I was greeted with his gruff hello.

"Hey Dad, I was wondering if you would mind paying for my dress?" I questioned him in an embarrassed rush of words before going abruptly silent.

"I… Uhm, I guess I could," he mumbled with a sigh before asking where I was and announcing that he would be there in ten minutes.

"You don't have to come down here," I stuttered as I watched Jess roll her eyes at me.

"Be happy he's paying. My dad would have just said no," she bitched as she pushed me aside to hand over her dress to the woman behind the counter.

"Nah, it's fine since we'll grab some pizza at Salvador's for dinner," he explained before ending our call. I was left standing there with my phone in hand while Jess paid and then left me there since Dad was on his way.

"I guess I could…" I mumbled as I motioned towards the door to the woman who watched me with an expectant look. It was my plan to wait outside, but the woman refused.

"Nonsense," she laughed before ushering me to an overstuffed loveseat in the corner before disappearing to get me a drink. It was kind, but completely unnecessary since I was only going to spend sixty dollars in her store.

I waited, letting the minutes tick by while sipping on my diet Coke until finally Dad walked into the shop with an amused look on his face.

"Charlie Swan!" The woman practically yelled as Dad approached her. "What in the hell are you doing here?"

"My daughter called me about a dress," he said with a grin before motioning towards me with more pride than what I deserved after how I had treated him earlier.

"Your daughter?" the woman exclaimed with a laugh before turning towards me with a bright smile. I should have known that she would know him since everyone in town did. "Oh Charlie, she's beautiful."

What a damn lie.

"She has your eyes. Lucky girl," the woman commented with a pleased smile that made me grin since she was the first person that didn't insist that I looked like my mother. She offered me her hand to help me up with a wide grin, holding my hand until I was standing once more.

"You and Renee did good with this one," she nodded with a smile as I stood before them, praying that Tanya's vision on my death would come true in that exact moment of time.

"Uhm thanks," I mumbled as crossed the space to hide behind my father like the coward I was when it came to dealing with people.

"Bella mentioned a dress?" Dad asked redirecting the woman as he looked at me with a slight smile.

"Oh yes," she clapped her hands together before walking towards the register with a laugh. She pulled out the red dress that I had deemed was good enough while Dad watched me.

"Is this the one you want?" he asked and then waited as if he knew that I was settling for it.

"Sure," I mumbled with a nod. "It's fine."

"Fine, huh?" Dad questioned with a smirk as the woman rung up the sale.

"Yes, so just…" I rambled as I motioned for him to pay so we could just get out of there.

"Yes, please let me spend my hard earned money on a dress that you think is fine," he harassed me before turning back to the woman with a grin.

"She's a pistol, Charlie," the woman laughed without looking up from the register. It took everything I had not to roll my eyes at her comment while I waited.

"Yeah, she takes after her old man," he barked as he handed over his credit card to the woman. "Speaking of old man, is your dad coming back for the ceremony?"

"I don't know," she sighed with a frown that made Dad laugh. "You know how he is, but this is state hall of fame, so maybe."

"Stubborn old ass," he mumbled with a laugh as he shook his head. "It's an honor to go in the hall of fame so when you talk to him tell him that I think he's being a pussy."

I physically cringed from the word pussy rolling off my dad's lips.

"Dad," I sputtered as I shoved at him to shut up.

"It's ok, sweetheart," the woman laughed loud as she shook her head at dad while giving him a playful grin."My dad used to be your dad's wrestling coach. I cannot tell you how many times he called those boys that."

"He sounds like a real peach," I nodded as the woman laughed, but dad caught my snotty tone and replied with a warning look.

"Hey, how's Garret?" Dad asked, changing the subject as he signed the slip of paper before him.

"He's good. Says the group of boys coming in this year is good," she commented in a tone that sounded robotic. I wanted to feel bad for her, but after she had called me sweetheart multiple times, which to me was condescending, my empathy for her was at all time low.

"That was nice of him to invite Emmett to help out," Dad mentioned softly with a sad smile that made my heart hurt a little.

"Yeah, you know Garrett has always worried about Emmett since…" she trailed off into silence.

Edward.

She was going to say his name, yet stopped. I stung to realize how these people refused to acknowledge him anymore. I wondered if they realized how that had to hurt Emmett as well.

"Yeah," Dad mumbled as he put away his card before looking back up at the woman. "Take care of yourself, Katie."

"Don't be a stranger and bring that beautiful daughter of yours around more," she called after him as he ushered me out of the story with a nod.

"Who was that?" I asked him as we stepped out of the store and out of hearing range from the woman.

"Katie?" he questioned as if I would know who in the hell he was speaking of. He waited for me to nod even though to me it was pretty obvious who I was asking about.

"She was a friend of your mothers," he snickered as he watched my face contort in instant rage over the connection to mom.

"Knowing that she's buddies with mom tells me enough about her character," I replied with bitter taste in my mouth and the sudden urge to return the dress to shop where she worked.

"Bella, she wasn't that bad," Dad laughed as he guided me down the empty side walk towards Salvador's. "She put up with the assholes on the team and was really there for us after our friend's death."

"Edward's?" I questioned even though I knew who it was he was speaking of. I just wanted to say his name. It made him real in a world that seemed to want to forget about him.

"Yeah," he agreed as he opened the door for me to go in for dinner. Dad must ordered a head of time since the pizza was served almost as soon as we sat down.

"Who are her kids?" I asked him while taking a slice of pizza. I looked across at him to find him staring at me with an uncertain look on his face.

"Don't look at me like that. I just want to know who to avoid in the halls, that's all," I laughed hoping that he would remember my dislike of the woman for just being friendly with mom.

"Uh, she and Garrett were never able to have kids," he shrugged before taking a slice of pizza. "It's a damn shame too since that was all she ever talked about."

"Well, not everyone can be as lucky as you," I tried to tease him in hopes that it would put an end to this miserable conversation about his classmates.

"Tell me about it," he mocked with a mouth full of food. "Your mom and I won the kid lottery when we had you."

"Damn straight you did," I nodded seriously causing him to laugh at my antics. It was loud and warm. It was the best thing ever to wipe away the sadness that seemed to follow the people he had graduated high school with.

"Thank you for the reminder, Bella," he chuckled softly while watching me as we ate our pizza together in quiet corner of the pizza joint.

AN:

What is this? Another update? So soon? Yeah, I know, but it's small and didn't fit in the next chapter. So , yeah here it is. Thanks for the review for Ch 35. I think some are worried about why it took so long for someone to respond when Edward died. He died after school hours... lik early in the morning. He keeps talking about the stars in the sky, remember? So, the only people there would have been him & the person who pushed him. Hope that helps : )

Teaser for Ch 37 are on the way. I will send them out n review replies and post on facebook as well as ADF.

XOXO

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